Panty girdle



G. L. DIEBOLD July 26, 1966 PANTY GIRDLE Filed June 1, 1964 I 25 olgellflieba B A M #W United States Patent f 3,262,453 PANTY GIRDLE George L. Diehold, Skokie, 111., assignor to Venus Foundation Garments, Inc, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,602 11 Claims. (Cl. 128-528) This invention relates to foundation garments 'and more particularly to a novel and improved panty girdle. Panty girdle type foundation garments are currently very popular because they may be worn during physical activities and because they generally conform more closely to the contours of the body than other types of foundation garments. Thus, undergarments of this type are particularly well suited for wear under close fitting or stretch type clothing which is intended to closely conform to the wearers body. However, many undergarments of this type have not been entirely satisfactory either when worn during physical activity or under close fitting clothing. Some of the reasons for this are that during physical. activity the construction employed in some panty girdles has caused irritation of the crotch and inner leg areas of the wearer due to the presence of seams in this vicinity. Such irritation has also been caused from bunching or wrinkling of the crotch material. In addition, other undergarments of this type have proven objectionable when worn under close fitting clothing because they did not closely conform to the wearers body with the result that the natural lines of the figure were altered.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved panty girdle type foundation garment.

A more particular object is to provide a novel and improved panty girdle type foundation garment which minimizes the possibilities of irritation to the crotch and inner leg areas of a wearer.

Another object is to provide a novel panty girdle .type foundation garment which clo'sely conforms to the bodily contours of the wearer and which preserves the natural lines of the figure.

A further object is to provide a novel panty girdle type foundation ganmlent of the foregoing character which is particularly well suited for wear under close fitting clothing, such as stretch pants and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a foundation garment embodying the features of the present invention, in this instance a panty girdle;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, are rear, side and bottom plan views,- respectively, of the girdle shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an inside-out view of the front of the girdle shown in FIG. 1.

Although the invention will hereinafter be described in connection with a panty girdle, it 'will be understood that the principles involved are equally applicable to other types of foundation garments having a crotch portion.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a panty girdle type foundation garment is illustrated. The panty girdle 10, in the present instance, comprises a body portion 11 having depending leg portions 12 formed integrally therewith. The body portion 11 includes .a pair of laterally arranged panels 13 and 14 joined together along a rear central vertical seam 16 (FIG. 2). The panels 13 and 14 terminate in upper marginal edges 21 and 22, respectively,

disposed substantially at the waist of a wearer.

The leg portions 12, in the present instance, have a length such that their lower marginal edges 25 and 26,

3,262,453 Patented July 26, 1966 ice respectively, are disposed somewhat below the wearers crotch. It will be understood that the length of the leg portions 12 may vary in different styles of garments.

The body panels 13 and 14 may be of any suitable material but are preferably of an elastic fabric known in the trade as power net. Such a fabric is stretchable or elastic in one direction and elongat-able by distortion to a limited extent in a direction transverse to its direction of elastic extensibility. In the present instance, the fabric in the panels 13 and 14 is arranged so as to be stretchable in a substantially horizontal direction.

According to the present invention, the girdle 10 includes a novel cortch portion 30 which is marginally secured to the body panels 13 and 14 at the front and rear of the garment. The crotch port-ion 30, in the present instance, comprises unitary or continuous front, crotch and rear sections 31, 32, and 3 3, respectively, the front section 31 and a portion of the crotch section 32 being secured to the body panels 13 and 14 at the front of the garment along marginal seams 35 and 36, respectively, and the rear section 33 and another portion of the crotch section 32 being secured to the body panels 13 and 1-4 at the rear of the garment along marginal seams 3 7 and 38, respectively.

It will be noted that the seams 35, 36 are spaced forwardly of the crotch and inner leg areas, indicated at 41 and 42, of the girdle and that the seams 37, 38 are spaced reanwardly of such areas, particularly the inner areas. Thus, the crotch and inner leg areas are free of seams, so that the possibility of irritation or chafing in these areas is minimized.

As heretofore mentioned, the panty girdle 10 is adapted to closely conform to the bodily contours of the wearer and to preserve the natural lines of the figure. To this end, a novel construction is employed in the crotch portion 30, now to be described. The crotch portion 30 thus comprises a pair of laterally arranged panels 47 and 48 which are joined together along a central vertical seam 52, colinear with the seam 16 at the rear of the garment. The panels 47 and 48 are preferably of the same material of the body panels 13 and 14, as for example elastic net. Such fabric is arranged so that the panels 47 and 48 in the rear section 33 are stretchable or extensible in directions inclined downwardly with respect to the central vertical seam 52. In the specific construction shown, the direction of stretch of the fabric in the panels 47 and 48 in the rear section 33 is inclined at an angle of about 77 with respect to the central vertical seam 52 at the rear of the girdle. Such angle is approximately indicated by the arrows 53 and 54 in FIG. 2. With such an angular relationship, close conformity of the rear section 33 to the wearers body is obtained.

Since the panels 47 and 48 are in one piece,-their arrangement to provide the aforementioned angular stretchability relationship in the rear section 33 will automatically determine the angle of stretchability of the fabric in the front section 31. Thus, with the construction illustrated, the fabric in the panels 47 and 48 in the front section 31 will have its direction of stretchability inclined at an angle of about 38 with respect to the central vertical seam 52. Such angle is approximately indicated by the arrows 55 and 56 in FIG. 1.

It will be understood, however, that the foregoing angular relationships are only exemplary, and that changes in the style, elasticity and type of material employed in the construction of the girdle may require different angular relationships in order to obtain the desired bodily conformation.

In addition to the foregoing angular relationship as to the direction of stretchability of the fabric of the panels 47 and 48 at the rear of the garment, improved conformation to the bodily contours of a wearer is achieved if the panels are formed to a particular shape and are properly positioned. Thus, the lateral side edges and seams 37 and 38 of the panels 47 and 48 at the rear. section 33 preferably diverge outwardly from the crotch section 32 toward a maximum width dimension disposed somewhat below the fullest area of the wearers buttocks. Above this maximum width dimension, the lateral side edges or seams converge inwardly toward each other so that the portions, indicated at 37a and 38a, of the seams 37 and 38, which are disposed above the maximum width dimension lie across the lower part of the fullest area of the wearers buttocks. The horizontal width of the rear section 33 at its maximum dimension is such that the corners, indicated at 57 and 58, of the rear section are disposed substantially at the centers of the wearers legs.

With the foregoing structural arrangement, a close conformation of the crotch and rear sections 32 and 33 to the wearers body is obtained. As a result of such close conformation, wrinkling or bunching of the material in the area of the crotch is eliminated. In addition, bridging of the material in the crotch and rear sections 32 and 33 is minimized so that the natural lines of the wearers figure are preserved.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the lateral side edges and seams 35 and 36 of the front section 31 diverge outwardly from the crotch section 32 to a maximum dimension generally overlying the wearers abdomen. Above such maximum dimension, the lateral side edges converge inwardly toward the upper marginal edges 21 and 22 of the body panels 13 and 14. A flattening action is thus exerted on the wearers abdomen, and the angularity of the direction of stretch of the material in the panels 47 and 48 in the front section 31 provides freedom for body movements and elongation.

In order to provide additional control to the wearers abdomen, an inner control panel 60 (FIG. 5) is marginally secured to the body panels 13 and 14 along the seams 35 and 36. The control panel 60 may be of any suitable material but is preferably of an elastic fabric having the same characteristics and elasticity as the body portion 11 and crotch portion 30. The material of the panel 60, in this instance, is arranged so as to be stretchable or elastic in a horizontal direction.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that modifications and variations thereof may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A panty girdle comprising a body portion and leg portions adapted to closely fit a wearers body and legs, and a crotch portion including laterally arranged panels joined by a vertical seam and connected to said body and leg portions along marginal seams, said crotch portion including continuous front, rear and crotch sections extending from the upper marginal area to the rear central area of said body portion and forming inner leg areas thereof, said inner leg areas being secured to the body portion by laterally outwardly disposed seams such that said marginal seams are disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the wearers crotch and inner leg areas, whereby the crotch and inner areas of the leg portions of said girdle are free of seams.

2. The panty girdle of claim 1 further characterized in that said rear section has lateral side edges which diverge outwardly from said crotch section toward a maximum width dimension disposed somewhat below the fullest area of the wearers buttocks, said side edges converging toward each other above said maximum width dimension with said converging edges overlying the lower part of the fullest area of the wearers buttocks.

3. The panty girdle of claim 2 further characterized in that said diverging and converging lateral side edges of said rear section define corners at said maximum width dimension, and said corners are substantially at the centers of the wearers legs.

4. The panty girdle of claim 1 further characterized in that said front section has lateral side edges which diverge outwardly from said crotch section toward a maximum width dimension generally overlying the wearers abdomen, said lateral side edges converging from said maximum width dimension toward the upper marginal edge of said front section.

5. A foundation garment comprising a body portion and leg portions adapted to closely fit a wearers body, and a pair of laterally arranged elastic material panels connected to each other along a central vertical seam and to said body portion and leg portions along marginal seams, said panels extending between the front and rear of said body portion and defining front, rear and crotch panel sections, said crotch panel sections being secured to the leg portions by marginal seams disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the wearers crotch and inner leg areas, the material of said panels being arranged so as to be stretchable in directions inclined with respect to said vertical seam, whereby said crotch section closely fits the wearers crotch and is free of wrinkles.

6. The foundation garment of claim 5 further characterized in that the material of each panel in said rear section is arranged so as to be stretchable in a downwardly inclined direction at an angle of about 77 degrees with respect to said vertical seam.

7. The foundation garment of claim 5 further characterized in that the material of each panel in said front section is stretchable in an upwardly inclined direction at an angle of about 38 degrees with respect to said vertical seam.

8. A panty girdle undergarment comprising an elastic material body and leg portions adapted to closely fit a wearers body, and a unitary crotch portion connected to said body and leg portions, said crotch portion including a pair of laterally arranged elastic material panels joined together along a central vertical seam and to said body and leg portions along marginal seams, said panels extending from the upper marginal portion to the rear central area of said body portion and defining front, rear and crotch sections, said crotch section extending between the crotch and inner leg areas of the wearer and having a front to rear dimension such that said marginal seams are disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the wearers crotch and inner legs areas, and the material of said panels in said rear section being stretchable in directions inclined downwardly with respect to said vertical seam, whereby the crotch and inner areas of said leg portions of said girdle are free of seams and said rear section closely conforms to the contours of the wears body.

9. The undergarment of claim 8 further characterized in that the material of said body portion is stretchable in a substantially horizontal direction.

10. The undergarment of claim 9 further characterized in that an abdominal control panel is provided at the front of said undergarment, said control panel underlying said front section and being secured to said body portion along said marginal seams.

11. The undergarment of claim 10 further characterized in that said control panel is of an elastic material arranged so as to be stretchable in a horizontal direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,903 3/1955 Gourdon 128-523 2,755,478 7/1956 Morano 128539 2,960,987 11/1960 Rockwell 128542 X 2,969,068 1/1961 Murdock 128-524 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PANTY GIRDLE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION AND LEG PORTIONS ADAPTED TO CLOSELY FIT A WEARER''S BODY AND LEGS, AND A CROTCH PORTION INCLUDING LATERALLY ARRANGED PANELS JOINED BY A VERTICAL SEAM AND CONNECTED TO SAID BODY AND LEG PORTIONS ALONG MARGINAL SEAMS, SAID CROTCH PORTION INCLUDING CONTINUOUS FRONT, REAR AND CROTCH SECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER MARGINAL AREA TO THE REAR CENTRAL AREA OF SAID BODY PORTION AND FORMING INNER LEGS AREAS THEREOF, SAID INNER LEG AREA BEING SECURED TO THE BODY PORTION BY LATERALLY OUTWARDLY DISPOSED SEAMS SUCH THAT SAID MARGINAL SEAMS ARE DISPOSED FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THE WEARER''S CROTCH AND INNER LEG AREAS, WHEREBY THE CROTCH AND INNER AREAS OF THE LEG PORTIONS OF SAID GIRDLE ARE FREE OF SEAMS. 